Mode of operating- and dumping earth-cars



UNITE RICHARD RAY, OF LOUISIORT, KENTUCKY.

MODE OF OPERATING AND DUMPING EARTH-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 13,528, dated September 4, 1855.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD RAY, of Louisport, in the county of Hancock and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Mode of Constructing Embankments Not Hitherto Known; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, of which- Figure 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2, an elevation and side view.

The nature of my improvement consists in the arrangement of a pair of removable rail ways, or tracks, the manner of work` ing the cars for transport-ing the earth thereon, and the self opening and closing thereof-so thatby the draft of a horse moving in one direction attached to a rope, passing over suitable pulleys and drums, an

alternate car filled with earth can be drawn and .unloaded on t-he end of one track, while an empty car on adjacent track is returned to the opposite end thereof, thus allowing one of the cars to be unloaded, while the other is traveling and receiving its load.

My invention consists in making use of a shifting rope, F, provided with ball or block thereon, I whereby the cars are moved.

I will proceed to explain the construction and mode of operating as follows: The horse having been attached to the swingle tree A, and the rope B, passes around a pulley C, on the anchor D. I-Ie is started and draws the rope from the windlass E, which in turning winds the rope B', in a contrary direction upon the windlass. This movement causes the rope F, to wind on the drum G; said rope passing around pulleys H H, at the opposite end of the track, and brings the blocks I, attached to the rope F, in contact with the upright bars or rack, K situated in one end of the car, No. 1, the

-block I, catching behind any two bars of K,

hold sufficiently firm to draw the empty car back to the place of filling, (viz to the right hand side of the figure) when the rack end of the car passes under the pulley L, this pully raises the block I and rope above the ends of the bars of the rack, and the car is arrested; the block and rope continuing to move, passes around the pulleys H, H, until the block is brought in contact with the end of the loaded car No. 2, of the adjacent track, in passing the racks they are so constructed as to allow the ball to pass them and bring the block immediately in contact with the end of the car. The horse still continuing to draw in the same direction, the rope is entirely unwound from one side or end of E and transferred or wound upon the shaft in another direction. By this means the loaded car No. 2 has been brought to the left while No, 1, remained at the right hand side receiving its load. The horse by this time is near the end of the rail way; and now on turning him around and his direct-ion reversed, unwinds the rope B from the windlass and reverses those on the drums.

It will be noticed that in traveling one half of the space between this anchor and the end of the track, he returns the empty car or No. 1, and in passing over the remaining space toward the anchor he draws the loaded car or No. 2, of the other track to the place of deposit. Thus performing in each trip the movement of an empty and a full car upon their respective rails, the necessary changes having been effected by the moving ball I or block attached to rope F.

The cars are filled by hand or otherwise but the delivery of their contents is effected by automatic means.

O, is a port rising between the inner rail, of the two tracks, so situated that it clears the wheels of the cars, but shall trip the lever closing the bot-tom of the cars when said lever strikes the post.

The liberat-ion of the swing bottom of the cars is effected as follows: Fig. 3, exhibits the reverse or underside of the car of which Z ci are the side rails; e e, cross framing; a a, two boards filling the width of the bottom; b Z9 Z2 b, hinges allowing the bottom to open downward.

f f, f f, are bolts secured on flaps a a.

g, g, are hasps on cross peices e e having slight motion so as to allow the hasp to be moved outward in releasing the end of f f.

L 7L are suitable slap springs whose ofiice is to retain the hasp in position over the end of bolts j, f.

a, is a lever pivoted at 2 and m also a lever pivoted at 3. The length of m is sufficient to project beyond the side of the car and allow it to come in contact Wit-h a post 0 between the tracks.

r, is a rod connecting m and n.

The opening of the bottom a a is by the end of lever m, striking t-he post O Which throws those levers against the hasps g, g, and releases the bolts f, f, and thus leaves the bottom unsupported at liberty to tall by their hinges.

By reference to Fig. l, will be seen springs 4, 4L, aiiixed to the inside of the rails of the track whose object is to break the violence of the fall of a a; 5, 5 shows angular guides against which the ends of the bottoms a a strike as the empty car is moved on its return, those guides effecting the return of cr a to their place by the ends of the bolts passing the spring hasp g, g, and the car is ready to return to the place of receipt ot earth.

Having thus fully described my improvements what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- Il. The method of operating alternate trucks, uponfa double rail Way track by theseveral devices, as hereinbe'tore described.

2. I also claim the automatic delivery ot the loaded cars constructed as described by the several devices thereon as set forth in combination with a post O situated between the tracks.

3. I further claim the device for closing the bottoms a a of the cars as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name before tWo subscribing Witnesses.

RICHARD RAY.

vWitnesses Jol-IN F. CLARK, SAML. GRUBB. 

